Heathcote Wine and Food Festival is an icon on the Australian wine calendar – running annually for more than 15 years and expanding the experience of new generations of wine fans hooked on the fine produce from the Heathcote wine region.

The showcase of the region’s major industry 4000-plus people each year from across Victoria and interstate for one of Victoria’s signature regional wine events. Many are festival regulars who have become enthusiastic ambassadors for the Heathcote wine region renowned for its stunning shiraz releases and now carving an exciting reputation for Mediterranean-style reds and other varietals.

And joining them each year are first-time visitors eager to experience an exciting weekend in regional Victoria, arriving on special buses from Melbourne and Bendigo and in groups of family and friends.

New release wines

The festival is your chance to be among the first to sample new release wines from the Heathcote region and learn more about wines that have recently achieved success in international and national awards as well as the Saint Martin Heathcote Wine Show.

Family friendly celebration

The Heathcote Showgrounds are transformed into a stunning family-friendly village setting in the days leading up to festival celebrations, a contrast to the first festival featuring a handful of wineries in the courtyard of a local restaurant.

The festival has grown with the wine region’s reputation. International awareness of the Heathcote brand owes as much to the modern pioneers of the industry in the region as it does to today’s winemakers and vignerons.